2020 Oklahoma City tornado (Blackford)
|type = EF4 tornado (NWS)|date = May 7, 2020|times = 2133-2208|touchdown = 18 SW of Bethany, Oklahoma|winds = 185 mph (estimate) 181.2 mph (confirmed)|injuries = 121|fatalities = 27|damage = $227 million (2019 USD)|areas = Oklahoma City area|tornado season = Tornado outbreak of May 7-8, 2020|image location = Katie EF4.jpg|image caption = The tornado located about 4 miles southwest of Bethany at 2147.}} the 2020 Oklahoma City tornado '''was a long-lived, intense and violent EF4 tornado which impacted the northern suburbs of Oklahoma City on May 7, 2020. The tornado, rated a high-end EF4 with winds of up to 185 mph, caused significant damage to Bethany. The tornado was notorious for it's uncertainty in intensity, being changed in intensity a record 17 times, changing repeatedly from EF3 to EF4, or in some cases EF5 to EF4. The tornado finally received a final rating in Spring of 2021 of 185 mph, making it a high-end EF4. Meteorological history On May 6, the SPC had taken note of extremely strong wind shear, high moisture in the atmosphere and a dry line stationed in the panhandle of Texas. This extremely unstable atmosphere warranted a day 2 moderate risk of mainly tornadoes for much of Oklahoma and some of Texas. As the morning of May 7 rolled around, a even less stable atmosphere than originally thought existed across the region, and in anticipation of a major tornado outbreak being underway, the SPC issued a high risk of severe thunderstorms. Due to the high tornado threat, a 45% + significant tornado potential was highlighted in the 1300Z outlook, focusing mainly around the OKC area. Many NWS offices issued special weather statements or public information statements regarding severe weather safety that morning around the region. The one issued by Norman, Oklahoma is shown below. Norman, OK Public Information Statement (9:21 AM CDT May 7, 2020) Public Information Statement National Weather Service Norman OK 921 AM CDT Thu May 7 2020 ...DANGEROUS OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND VIOLENT TORNADOES ANTICIPATED ACROSS OKLAHOMA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING... Severe thunderstorms are anticipated to develop late this morning in northeastern New Mexico and track northeast into Oklahoma by the mid afternoon hours. These storms may produce very strong winds of up to 100 mph, destructive hail of up to 3 inches in diameter and numerous tornadoes, many of which will be over EF-2 in strength. Due to the possibility of severe weather today, the SPC has issued a '''high risk of severe thunderstorms. Today is a extremely dangerous weather situation with widespread dangerous tornadoes expected. Preparedness actions... Review your severe weather safety procedures for the possibility of dangerous weather today. Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio, weather.gov, or other media for watches and warnings. A tornado watch means that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to form during the next several hours. If a tornado warning is issued for your area, move to a place of safety, ideally in a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building. && $$ ALEX By 1530, the first popcorn thunderstorms had moved into Oklahoma, and there after began rapidly strengthening. The first tornado of the day touched down at 1602, 5 hours before the OKC tornado. The tornado damaged several outbuildings and caused low-end EF3 damage. 'Tornado -' The tornado touched down at 2133 about 18 miles southwest of Bethany, Oklahoma. The supercell had previously produced several tornadoes in the panhandle of Texas and portions of Oklahoma. SKYWARN spotters confirmed a rope tornado about 16 miles southwest of Bethany at 2135. From there, the tornado began to become a large tornado, being reported as a large cone tornado at 2143, about 9 miles southwest of Bethany. The tornado struck multiple houses at 2146, causing extensive damage and warranting a tornado emergency for the north Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The most famous picture of the tornado was taken as a low-end EF4 at 2147, and it struck several cars and a small neighborhood less than 30 seconds after the photo was taken. The tornado tracked into Bethany at 2149, causing cataclysmic damage as it moved adjacent to NW 43rd Street. A debris ball became apparent on radar in the 2151 radar scan, suggesting that a extremely violent tornado was in progress. Several homes along NW 43rd Street sustained possible EF5 damage, and 25 of the 27 deaths occurred from 2149-2152. The tornado then continued northeast into the heart of Bethany as a low-end EF4 at 2154, causing the other 2 deaths. It continued to weaken as it moved out of Bethany at 2157, and by 2200 was a low-end EF3 over The Village, causing moderate damage. The storm's structure totally collapsed around 2203, and the tornado lifted at 2208 just southwest of Oklahoma Christian University. The supercell would reorganize and would go on to produce several other violent tornadoes across north central Oklahoma, although none nearly as violent as the Bethany tornado. The supercell would merge with several other supercells into a cluster of tornadic thunderstorms which would cause the most destructive tornado of the outbreak around 2100. Aftermath The governor of Oklahoma declared a state of emergency on May 9, after he tweeted on the night of May 7 saying "Our prayers go out to central Oklahoma tonight following a destructive tornado outbreak. Extreme destruction has been reported in Bethany." "#PrayersForOKC" became #3 trending on Twitter by May 8. However, a controversy would emerge of how NWS Norman rated the tornado, as they completely ignored some houses that clearly sustained EF-5 damage in the survey.